Gatrina’s visit resulted in little more than a fiasco, owing to the interruption of Prince Albrevics. I re-entered the house in a quite fit mood to quarrel with Elma for having brought him upon the scene as she had.
Nikolitch had come out in search of me, however, and was speaking to her in the hall, so that I could say nothing.
“You will not be long, Bergwyn?” he asked.
“I am ready now.”
“I will wait while you despatch your business with Colonel Petrosch, Mr. Bergwyn,” said Elma, readily. “I am in no hurry.”
“I regret I can give you no time to-day, Baroness,” I said, bluntly intending it as her dismissal. But she laughed it away.
“You can come and tell me so when he has gone,” she answered, and turned into one of the rooms, contriving to convey a most irritating suggestion that she was quite at home and perfectly accustomed to humour my whims.
“How did she know Petrosch was here?” asked Nikolitch. “She is a wonderful woman. She knows everything. She will understand why he has come.”
“Let her,” said I, with a shrug. “It makes no difference;” and with that we went back to the Colonel.
The rest of the business was soon despatched. I handed him the undertaking I had drawn up and thus stood pledged to support the cause of the army on the conditions I had already specified. When the Colonel had gone Nikolitch remained, and when we had fixed up an engagement to dine together that night, he said:
“I think you have done the right thing, Bergwyn; and there is no doubt your action will strengthen the moderates among us. It will make against the policy of violence; and may render it impossible. I hope so with all my heart,” he said, earnestly.
“What will happen?”
“A forced abdication. As I have told you it has been put to the King more than once, and he has refused obstinately. But now, backed by the united army, it will be different.”
“If he should still refuse?”
“He’ll have to go. The Queen has made it imperative. For a clever woman she has made amazing blunders. Of course you understand the Russian partisans won’t love you any more than the Queen will continue to be friendly to you now.”
“If she gets to know what has passed.”
He nodded significantly toward the room where Elma had gone. “She’ll see to that, probably—unless she has some other move. If you can stop her, I should.”
“I have no influence with her and seek none.”
“That’s not the story she persists in telling, my dear fellow,” he said with a slow smile.
“It’s the story I tell—and it’s the true one, Nikolitch. What story do you mean this of hers?”
“I’ll tell you to-night. I’ve a lot to do now. Of course you know your own cards; but if I were you, I should keep in with her. She can be dangerous, as I’ve told you more than once. Well, till this evening then,” he added lightly, and went away.
What story had Elma been spreading now? I had better know it at once, I thought, and went to her to ask.
“The Colonel has gone, then? And the Captain, too. I am glad you have him for a friend, Mr. Bergwyn,” she said, in her lightest manner. “You would have found Belgrade dull without a man friend. Yet you don’t quite understand the captain’s position?”
“Did you stay to enlighten me?”
“Oh dear, no. I have much more important matters to discuss. But I wish I had warned you that although he is on excellent terms with the officers—as he is with everyone, being a delightful man—yet he is not in the inner circle. He is of great use to them; but he knows only what they choose to tell him. He has been of great use to them, for instance, in getting you over to their cause; but of course he has led you to make a great mistake.”
“He has just told me that you have spread some report concerning you and myself. What is that?”
“I thought he would. He hinted to me just now in the minute I had with him that he had heard something; and naturally I did not undeceive him. He seemed greatly mystified; of course I knew why,” she added.
“Perhaps you will enlighten me?”
“Don’t you think it is rather a delicate question?”
“I wish you would speak plainly,” I broke out, brusquely.
“I suppose it was in this way. You see you and I were together for some considerable time last night at the Palace; and as people had heard rumours of the reason for your presence in Belgrade—rumours connecting us, I mean; I suppose they put two and two together—at least they put us together, that is to say.”
“Captain Nikolitch puts the origin of the rumour down to you, Baroness.”
“I don’t think I object. American millionaires are very rare in Belgrade, and if people chose to think that I was engaged to one, was it likely that I should have so little of feminine vanity as to be displeased?”
I understood now the reason for Gatrina’s coldness, her marked estrangement during her visit, and the undermeaning of some of her words. She had heard this infernal story. Elma enjoyed my dismay; and I believe understood the cause of it.
“Do you mean that you actually gave countenance to such a thing?”
“Pray don’t look so painfully shocked, Mr. Bergwyn,” she mocked.
“You will place me in the extremely invidious position of having to deny the report, Baroness.”
Her laugh at this had all the ring of genuineness. “How will you do it, Mr. Bergwyn?” she asked, in renewed mockery of my earnestness. “Think. How can you do it? You and I know that it has no sort of foundation in fact; but how can we stop the tongue of gossip? Let us be sensible and just live it down. Other people’s names have been coupled together in the same way in mistake before now; but they have not been married in consequence. Nor shall we be, I suppose. But it is a delightful situation none the less, and just what I desired.”
“I remembered what you said last night,” I exclaimed, angrily.
“You had better laugh at it all than be angry.”
“I have no laughter to spare for it.”
“Ah, that is because of Gatrina. Naturally, too. But it was she who made it necessary, and of course, so far as she is concerned, the desired effect has already been produced. In a week or two the thing will die a natural death, as such things do; and neither of us will be a krone the worse.”
“I think you are the most exasperating woman that ever lived,” I said hotly.
“I can quite understand that thought. As I told you last night I have to play many parts. This one you and Gatrina together have forced upon me.” She spoke lightly and shrugged her shoulders, but after a moment was serious. “I told you also, last night, that if you forced me to fight, I would do it openly. Gatrina’s trust in you was in our way and had to be broken somehow. It was broken when she heard this news. The Queen had to use the utmost pressure to induce her to come to you to-day. Her Majesty did me the honour to ask me in Gatrina’s presence whether there was any truth in the report of my secret engagement to you—it is supposed to be no more than secret—and I could not, at least I did not, deny it.”
“It is infamous,” I broke in, passionately.
“Infamous if you like, but necessary. You have seen Gatrina for the last time, Mr. Bergwyn.”
“I will go to the Queen herself and deny it.”
“You might, if she would receive you. But Gatrina was supposed to be coming as a last step to win you and your money to the side of the Court. Can she carry back any news other than that her mission as Queen’s Advocate has failed? You are now, indeed, pledged to support the cause of Her Majesty’s bitterest enemies—the army. And even angry as you are now, you can judge the prospect of your reception. You have chosen your side and must take the bitter with the sweet.”
She dwelt on all this with telling deliberateness, and the pitiless logic of every measured word told upon me. But the effect was not what she had intended. Instead of growing more angry, I began to regain coolness. The perception of difficulties has always a steadying result with me, and I put aside my anger at once. It was too dangerous a luxury at such a juncture.
“You are building your theory upon the assumption that I have thrown in my lot with Colonel Petrosch and his friends. Do so by all means if it pleases you,” I said.
“I judge by what I have found here: but I shall know for certain within a few hours. I do not act in the dark. But if you have not, it will make no difference in regard to the Queen’s Advocate.”
“I prefer not to discuss the Princess with you.”
“You will find someone else who will wish to do so. Prince Albrevics attributes the failure of his marriage to you and will force a quarrel upon you. Rumours of that Bosnian adventure have reached him. I wish to warn you.”
“Have you anything more to say?” I asked as I rose. “If you have, it will be well to say it at once, as you will have no opportunity in the future.”
“I suppose I have made you feel like that, and that you won’t believe I am sorry. You have driven me so hard. Yet I—” She paused, looked down, and then rising came toward me and said half wistfully, half defiantly: “I need not be your enemy, and would much rather be your friend. Why won’t you see this? All the influence I have could be yours if you would only let it be so.”
“I prefer to trust to myself and take my own course, thank you,” I said, coldly.
She sighed wearily. “I suppose we all have our hours of weakness and perhaps this is mine. I am not ashamed for you to see it. Let me be your friend, Chase. I—I won’t ask for anything else. But I feel such a coward now for all that I have had to do against you. I could help you in all—all except Gatrina. That can never be possible for you. But you are being so shamefully betrayed.”
“I have given you my answer.”
“Yes, I know, and I know how dogged you are. But if you trust these officers, this Colonel Petrosch, he will only deceive you. I told you before, that their policy is to be summed up in one word—assassination; if once they resolve to move. We all know that and dread it for the sake of Servia. And if you help them with money, they will take it and only lie to you. Everyone lies here. It is the common coin of negotiation. Trust me a little, just a little, for the sake of old times, and I’ll be true to you. I swear on my soul I will.”
“I do not need your help.”
“I am not acting or lying now. Trust me and I will give up all this Russian spying business and never touch it again. I want to feel I am working for you, not against you. My God, I will do anything, anything, if you will but let me.”
“I have already had too clear a proof of that to wish for any more. Your carriage is waiting, Baroness.”
She gazed at me intently; and gradually her features and the expression of her eyes hardened.
“As you will—but that decision will cost you dear. The men whom you have helped or are going to help with your money are assassins; and when they have done their work and when the city runs red with blood, and both the Queen and her advocate, Gatrina, lie dead among their victims, you will remember this hour and your rejection of my help; and eat out your heart in belated, unavailing regret. Do you still persist in sending me away?”
“Your carriage is waiting,” I repeated doggedly; and she went without another word.
I returned to my library feeling very much disturbed. I was cooking a dish that didn’t promise to be easy of digestion. I could see that, without the help of Nikolitch’s words and Elma’s dramatic confirmation of them. What she had said about assassination had impressed me more than I cared to own; and I recalled Nikolitch’s uneasy hope on that score. Two people more unlike than he and Elma it would be difficult to find; and yet both appeared to hold much the same opinion.
Then there was this reported engagement to Elma and all the string of complications arising out of it. There was only too much reason to believe that it had served its end, as she had said, in regard to Gatrina. It was like a net about my feet, entangling and hampering me; and how to cut myself free from it was more than I could see.
I had given my word to Gatrina on the previous night that my coming to Belgrade had had nothing to do with Elma; and if I had but known of the report that morning I could have denied it to her. I could have gnashed my teeth as I recalled her phrase about “other things” she had heard from Elma at the Court. I could see now what she had meant; and it was just the opening I could have used, had I but known; perhaps given me for the very purpose. I had let it pass in ignorance; but I could readily understand how she would interpret my silence.
To contradict it all now was infinitely difficult. I couldn’t walk about the streets shouting it out to the crowd. The door of the Palace was closed to me; and probably that of Gatrina’s house as well.
But her visit by the Queen’s desire, as she had so coldly said, gave me the right to return it, and I did so that afternoon. Without result, however. The Princess was at the Palace, I was informed.
After a moment’s thought I resolved to go there; but I did no good by that. After waiting some time a message was brought me that Her Majesty regretted she could not receive me just then. I asked for Gatrina next, only to be again refused; and I returned home in a bad temper in consequence.
I had not recovered it when the time came for my appointment with Nikolitch for dinner; and he saw it.
“You look worried,” he said.
“It’ll pass off,” I replied.
“No bad news from the States, I hope? Not another financial crisis. They flourish over there gaily, don’t they?”
“Men make fools of themselves there as elsewhere; and with us it takes that form pretty often. By the way, you were going to tell me some news about the Baroness von Tulken.”
“They say you’re engaged to be married to her.”
“Who says it?”
“Well, I rather fancy she does.”
“It isn’t true. That’s all there is to it.”
“That’s what the other side say.”
“Who are the other side; and why the devil do people want to gossip and chatter about me?”
“My dear fellow, the place is full of gossip about you. I don’t know whether you care to hear it.”
“It don’t amount to anything what they say—at least to me.”
“I suppose it doesn’t. But when a man’s as rich as you are, they will talk. Have you heard that story about your dog?”
“My dog? What do you mean?”
“That big brute of yours, Chris. They say he saved the Princess Gatrina’s life in the Bosnian hills or somewhere; and that you were in it too. Of course I laughed at it.”
“Naturally. So should I,” I said; but I was in no laughing mood. “How do you suppose such a tale got going?”
“Someone with a grudge against the Princess started it. You know what spiteful devils there are hanging about the Court?”
“I suppose there are.”
“Rather. Peck each other’s eyes out if they could. But this was a blackguard tale intended to compromise her with you. Of course there was a lot of talk about that carrying-off affair. Some wanted to make out she bolted from Albrevics. Shouldn’t blame her. He’s a beast. Hullo, there he is; and not so drunk as usual at this hour either. I should be careful of him, Bergwyn. He was abusing you to-day to a friend of mine. He’s seen us, I think, and is coming this way. Hang the fellow, what does he want to sit at the next table to us for?”
Not wishing a dispute in so public a place, I was careful not to look around as the Prince and a couple of friends took their places at the table next to us and began to laugh and jest loudly.
Nikolitch nodded to the Prince’s companions and we went on with our dinner, the talk drifting to our old experiences in the years when we had first known each other.
The Prince, as we could not fail to see, was drinking heavily, and I could tell from Nikolitch’s face that like myself he was beginning to expect trouble. Once or twice the man was ill-bred enough to whisper to his companions while pointing at me; and then all three would burst into laughter.
“Should we have our coffee inside?” said Nikolitch at length—we were dining in the open.
“Yes, if you like;” said I, and we both rose. As I did so I touched, quite unintentionally, the chair of the Prince. He had his wine-glass in his hand, and while pretending to move out of my way, he deliberately spilt the wine all over me.
“To the devil with your clumsiness,” he cried, angrily, as he jumped to his feet; “making me waste good liquor in that way. Oh, it’s the Yankee money-man, is it?” he added, with an oath and a sneer.
“I touched your chair quite accidentally and too slightly to have caused you to spill your wine.”
“That’s a lie. You did it on purpose,” he cried, loudly.
“Prince Albrevics!” exclaimed Nikolitch; while the two men with him got up looking very serious.
“I can’t allow anyone to say that to me, sir,” I said, keeping quite cool. “I must ask you to take that word back right here.”
“Not for any cowardly Yankee that was ever born.”
“Perhaps you will do it when you are sober then,” said I.
“I’m cursed if I’ll let a Yankee pig say I’m drunk;” and he rushed forward to strike me. I pushed him back; but this only infuriated him and he sprang at me again.
I had taken more than enough from him, however, and as he reached me the second time, his hand raised for a blow, I got mine in first and knocked him down.
The place was instantly in an uproar.
“Stay and do what’s necessary, Nikolitch. I’m in your hands. I’m going to smoke over there,” I said, pointing to a table at a distance. And taking out my cigar-case I walked away as the Prince’s friends were picking him up.